Review: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad is a very different spin on the typical iPad keyboard case. In fact, it’s not a case at all – it’s a handsome front cover with a Bluetooth keyboard neatly integrated within it.

Logitech says it’s designed to impress and type in style – and touts it is as the perfect partner for your iPad. I thought this cover looked great when it was first announced, ordered one back in April, and have been using it for a couple weeks now.

Hit the break to see my thoughts on whether it really is a perfect partner for the iPad …

Notes

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover attaches magnetically to the left side of the iPad, in a similar way to the Apple Smart Cover. It also provides the automatic sleep/wake feature that the smart cover does – so when the cover is closed the iPad goes into sleep mode and when the cover is opened the iPad wakes up. Of course this means that the cover works with the iPad 3rd gen and the iPad 2.

The cover is made of aluminum that gives it an Apple-like feel. There is no back to this cover – so the back of your iPad has no protection while using it – unless you already use a skin or back screen protector of some kind. I use a Gelaskin so I have some minimal back protection for my iPad.

The keyboard – which is on the inside of the cover itself – is a glossy black plastic. A groove in the keyboard where the iPad is placed when in use is also magnetized to hold the iPad in securely if you place it into the groove in landscape mode with the home button on the right (with the keyboard facing you). You can also place the iPad in portrait mode, but it doesn’t feel anywhere near as secure when you do.

Most of the keyboards for iPad keyboard cases that I’ve seen have a dedicated top row of special function keys – to do things like go to the home screen, the spotlight search screen, copy and paste, and access music controls. This keyboard is more compact and it combines the standard number / symbols keys and special function keys on one row. To use the special function keys you need to tap them while also tapping the function (fn) key.

There are two buttons and one port on the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover – all located towards the top of its right-hand side. The port is for charging it via a mini-USB cable, and the two buttons are for power and Bluetooth.

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad is priced at $99.99.

Highlights

— This slim keyboard cover is very good looking – and the use of aluminum makes it feel right at home if you’re a fan of other Apple products.

— It also lives up nicely to the ‘ultrathin’ portion of its name. It keeps your iPad feeling quite slim. Here’s a couple of shots that put this in perspective – my iPad 3rd gen is in the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard cover and my wife’s iPad 2 is using a standard smart cover in each of these:

— The keyboard connects pairs, and reconnects with the iPad flawlessly.

Lowlights

— When the cover is on the iPad it becomes unattached far too easily. Just a soft nudge with my thumb on the right hand side of the cover can easily push it around. This is something that does not occur with the Apple smart cover and it feels like a real risk for getting unwanted scratches on the iPad screen or causing drops of the ultrathin cover, the iPad, or both. You can see this flaw pointed out in my friend Larry Greenberg’s video review of this cover, at right about the 2:20 mark.

— The cover is very attractive, but it also seems to get dirty and accumulate some nicks and blemishes pretty quickly. I’m meticulous about handling my iPad and iPad accessories carefully, and despite that this cover is already showing a little wear and tear.

— The spacing between keys on the keyboard is not very generous at all, so I don’t find it great for typing on. I much prefer the keys on the ZAGGfolio keyboard.

Overall

This ultrathin cover may work well as a smart looking option for having a keyboard with you without gaining much added bulk while carrying just a single item.

I love the look of the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard cover, but I’ve been mostly disappointed with it. I’m also just not sure what sort of use it would be ideal for. For me, its keyboard is not a great selling point for it – so it’s not a better option as just a keyboard than an Apple or ZAGG keyboard used standalone.

It’s not a case like the ZAGGfolio and others – so it doesn’t serve as a dual-purpose accessory. And it’s not a true keyboard plus smart cover alternative because it just doesn’t stay anywhere near firmly enough attached.

Will you keep it? I’m interested, because it feels at times counter-intuitive to buy a keyboard, almost the size of the iPad itself (not in terms of weight), on a product that its main design is to not use a real world keyboard.

This is coming from someone who can easily type on the screen almost as fast as on a physical keyboard.

I think I probably won’t keep it, due to the major flaw with the cover staying on. I also find it quite easy to type with the on-screen keyboard on the iPad – and I certainly don’t feel a need to use a keyboard case every day or anything close to that. I do think they are an interesting idea though and can be useful at times. I just haven’t found one I love yet. I may do a little rundown of three that I’ve used recently sometime soon.

Many reviewers of the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard has concern or complain about the potential aesthetic of the back of the keyboard with repeated usage even with extreme care during handling. I have found the Best Skin Ever product to be perfect for the solution. Check it out.

I got one of these a couple weeks ago and love it – except… the little rubber cushion in the slot for the iPad is starting to move around. I Googled it and it seems this has happened to others. I called Logitech and since my keyboard is still under warranty, they are going to replace it. I just wonder if the next one will also have its little rubber cushion come off.

On another note, while I was researching this, I saw that quite a few people had defective magnets and when their products were replaced, they had no problems with the magnet not holding the cover on. Mine is very secure – I just hope the replacement keyboard has a good magnet as well.